Change of Pace
by MagicConan14
Summary: Hakuba gets a taste of the wild side of life and decides not to back down from there…AU set after episode 1. Five shot.
1. Did Someone Call for a Detective?

Change of Pace

Thanks to some spoilers, I know something of this nature (the first two chapters) happens in Samurai Flamenco but like the series itself, this goes in a completely different direction to what you expect it to (it's an AU after all).

Disclaimer: You know the spiel. That's why this time there will be no disclaimer.

...Actually the reason there is no disclaimer is that I simply forgot about it in the first place.

* * *

><p>A teen detective in a periwinkle suit was just glancing at his pocket watch on the sidewalk when a young policeman he'd never seen before came running up to him. "Hakuba Saguru, I presume?" the man asked.<p>

The detective nodded uncertainly, wondering what it was that a policeman would want with him.

After taking a deep breath, Hakuba dared to take in the dark hair and serious face, along with the police ID the policeman had produced close to his side so that only Hakuba could see it. 'Hidenori Goto,' the ID read. "I'm here on behalf of Samurai Flamenco, and I need your help," the cop whispered.

After suddenly registering what Goto-san had said, Hakuba could only try to protest. How could he, a detective, be dragged into that sentai video series everyone – including Kuroba-kun, oddly enough – was talking about? Maybe they needed a detective for 'Samumenco' to work alongside? Unfortunately, he couldn't recall what anyone had said about the hero…and Goto-san had started walking away.

As Hakuba followed in Goto-san's footsteps, he had a sinking feeling Goto-san and Samurai Flamenco weren't looking for a detective.

/

One walk to an apartment complex later, a brunette with purple eyes greeted them at the door. Something was familiar about those mauve eyes, Hakuba realised, becoming more wary of Goto-san, and to a bigger extent, the brunette. Speaking of the brunette, he'd gone to the back room then retrieved a red suit, helmet and handkerchief.

/

"Are you sure_ I_ am the one for the job, Goto-san?" Hakuba asked after he was zipped into the suit. Goto didn't respond, he just gestured at Hakuba to turn around.

"Looks like a good enough decoy," the policeman finished, ignoring him. The other person put in the rest of the outfit while at the brink of tears, almost as if he were giving away his livelihood.

…_did Goto-san say 'decoy'?_ Hakuba wondered.

The brunette did a pleading gesture to Hakuba while trying to ignore his own tears, "Sorry, but please don't ruin the suit or mention to anyone what the real Samurai Flamenco looks like. The public might recognise me," and then his voice dropped to an even quieter whisper than Goto-san's, "as Masayoshi Hazama."

His name sounded somewhat familiar, but Hakuba couldn't place where he'd heard it.

/

"So what am I in this suit for?" Hakuba asked when the three of them walked out on to the street, the detective being more intrigued than wary now that he knew these two weren't attempting to kidnap him. Kid wasn't part of this either as there weren't any gems or potential Kid targets about.

"I need to deceive my manager," Hazama-san told him with a sigh; imagining Ishihara-san mauling him to death for not knowing that he was the ever-so-popular video star.

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><p>Next time: "According to my watch, you smoked, jaywalked and stepped on my toes simultaneously 3 minutes and 12 seconds ago!" Hakuba declared, trying to emulate what he knew of Samurai Flamenco.<p> 


	2. Smoking, Jaywalking & Stepping on Toes

The reason Goto and Masayoshi keep being called [surname]-san is because Hakuba is very polite, and this is Hakuba's story, since he's underappreciated even in Magic Kaito.

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><p>"Your manager?" Hakuba asked flatly. Now that he thought of it, Samurai Flamenco would need an alter ego… "Are you a singer or something of that variety?"<p>

"Model," Hazama-san muttered, disguising it as a cough, as Goto-san and he went their separate ways…and Hakuba was left to be a pretend Samurai Flamenco.

/

"According to my watch, you smoked, jaywalked and stepped on my toes simultaneously 3 minutes and 12 seconds ago!" Hakuba declared, trying to emulate what he knew of Samurai Flamenco. (All he did know was that Flamenco acted alone and was the stereotypical sentai hero.) Despite what the hero usually wore, Hakuba couldn't bear to part with his pocket watch so he'd consulted it just then.

The drunken office worker (the one who'd been Samurai Flamenco's first opponent), who Hakuba had been talking to, gave him a smug smile and a punch only to find himself hurt by the pocket watch (which Hakubamenco had tightly secured around his wrist without cutting off his circulation). The man's cigarette harmlessly flew to the concrete and snubbed itself out. While the man reeled backwards Hakubamenco gave an uppercut, blindly hoping that would be what 'Samumenco' would do, then grabbed the man by the wrist.

"I'll get you yet, you-" the man cried like a sentai villain, nursing his hand and cursing all the way to their destination – the police box.

However, what – or rather who – awaited them at the police box was the most terrifying thing – Goto-san, talking to Nakamori-keibu.

Suddenly remembering he was meant to be a Samurai Flamenco decoy, he dropped the man on first sight of the two and ran away as fast as his booted feet would carry him.

/

After Hakuba got himself to Hazama-san's apartment, panting furiously, Hazama-san appeared not too long afterwards.

"Sorry again for this," Hazama-san apologised before letting the detective in and scratching the back of his head in awkwardness. "My manager was on to me – and scaring the wits out of me – when I saw you being interviewed for a news report. I thought that you would make a good replacement, Hakuba. Now, are you hungry? I still have some of that curry, enough for all three of us…"

As he uttered this last part, he held up a box of Brass Ranger curry and Hakuba just looked at it, reverting to the state of wonderment he'd had before.

/

Goto-san came to the apartment about an hour later to find some curry ready for him.

"Who knew that a detective could make such a good replacement for Samurai Flamenco?" he posed, holding his empty spoon between two fingers like one of his cigarettes. "A drunken office worker was left outside the police box while I was talking with Nakamori Ginzo, the policeman in charge of Kaito Kid heists. Apparently, he's – Kid, not Nakamori-keibu - going to stage a heist around here."

Hakuba's eyes veered in Goto-san's direction, a new sort of hunger burning in them.

* * *

><p>Next time: "Did I ever mention he said something about a horse?"<p>

Update: I forgot I was working on this fic on Masayoshi's birthday, my time, so if I were to declare something as his birthday present, this would be it.


	3. Something About a Horse

The rating gets upped again because of this chapter. Now I'm up to ep. 5 it was like I somewhat predicted what would happen (bear in mind I did read spoilers before beginning this series though). Also, if you take the first initial of 'change of pace', see what it spells…

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><p>"Did I ever mention the drunken man said something about a horse?" Goto told the two. At this, Hakuba's proud grin got turned upside down – his was the only watch with a horse on it.<p>

However, as the detective heard the rest of the story of the drunken man, he discovered that Totsuka-san, Goto-san and Nakamori-keibu had all accepted his story as the back end of a pub fight so all was safe. "So, do you have anything to say about the heist?" the detective asked finally.

"Unfortunately, that would be saying too much as I am part of the Vigilante Counselling Unit. If you really are a detective who is able to decipher what Kid does, then you'll be able to figure it out."

Nope, no clues there.

/

Hakuba arrived at Ekoda the next day to find Kaito perusing a newspaper.

"It's the 5th of October 2014, nine-oh-one am and four-point-two seconds. Kuroba-kun, may I ask why you would need a newspaper? This is science class, after all," the detective calmly asked.

"Well, why would you need your silly fob watch?" Kaito retorted, pulling said watch out of its position in Hakuba's hand.

The detective didn't answer but did peer over his shoulder to read the article:

'Samurai Flamenco vs. Kaito Kid?!

The phantom thief with a notorious reputation has yet another challenge but this time, it's for the new hero on the block.

Under the eyes of the watchful policemen at the box

I will make Samurai Flamenco's belt buckle disappear.

Its future-changing properties will be eliminated

five hours after the sun sets on the day people become monsters.

Obviously the day of the heist is Halloween but the time is not concrete – it could be anywhere between eleven and twelve o'clock, or even after that. Why is the time not set in stone, and if Samurai Flamenco knew about these 'future-changing properties', why hasn't he ever used them?'

As his watch reappeared in his hand (due to Kaito putting it there), Hakuba gave a short glance at his classmate. Only Kaito knew why his heist was the way it was…

* * *

><p>Next time: "A phantom thief is just like a person who commits premeditated murder – they plan ahead to commit their crime."<p> 


	4. Three Way Clash

Haha, Kid's helmeted rival strikes again! Obviously, black against white like in the Midnight Crow heist is an important thing to note.

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><p>A policeman was patrolling the area for Kid and was at the top of a skyscraper when a flapping noise caught his attention. <em>It must be that phantom thief<em>, he thought with a serious face while stepping out to greet him.

It was a male figure in a white suit standing next to the railing, but he was not Kid. Instead, the figure wore a cyan-marking-covered white helmet which displayed only his mouth.

"I am Kid's rival tonight," the figure declared.

/

Samurai Flamenco stood in front of the police box not too long afterwards, wondering why a phantom thief would want his belt buckle. Crowds of fans, including a certain blonde rich lady, cheered for both before silence came over them all.

Kid descended like an angel in front of the ally of justice only for someone to come in front of the latter – the white figure from earlier – and snatch Kid's card gun from its place.

"Kaito Kid, you were early by five minutes and ten-oh-two seconds. Care to explain why?" he asked.

"H-Hakuba-yarou?!" Kid spat, reaching around him to grab his target.

"I am the White Knight. While it is true that only a thief can comprehend a thief's actions, I fight on the side of justice and this costume allows me to do so," the figure said, holding up Kid's card gun.

Samumenco tried to break up the fight but Kid yanked the target away from him. "Samurai Flamenco-san, who touched that belt before you put it on for this heist?" the thief inquired.

"It was Hakuba Saguru-san, who I'd asked to cover for me," the hero mused.

As Kid started scattering cards everywhere with accurate throwing precision, the Knight plucked the target out from his grasp with a short apology. One of Kid's cards knocked it into the air and into Samumenco's grasp, catching the moonlight as it flew. When the hero finally put his belt back on and begun one of his finishing speeches, Kid had already begun to leave.

"What am I doing?" Hakuba wondered aloud, watching Kid fly away before taking off his helmet. "What is this costume? I know it's Halloween, but…"

The hero stopped mid-speech to blink at him cluelessly.

* * *

><p>Next time: The content of the cards revealed the history of the gem embedded in Samurai Flamenco's belt – Hero's Faith.<p>

/

The Japanese have a tendency to leave sentences unfinished, so Hakuba isn't OOC when he does that.


	5. Hero's Faith

I discovered 'Superheroes' by The Script not long ago, it's brilliant for not only Samurai Flamenco but for motivation.

Ep. 18 spilled what I wanted for the ending…

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><p>Samurai Flamenco, after pulling the cards out from the concrete and ordering them, read their contents:<p>

"Hero's Faith was formed from the willpower of those who seek justice, whether they were heroes or not, and originally had one purpose – to allow a person who believed in heroes to change their future for the better.

The original owner of this gem was Daisuke Hazama, hero visionary and wealthy grandfather. He was a worthy owner until he discovered one night that his grandson was the one the gem wanted.

Not long after, his son and daughter in law were attacked by an unknown robber overseas and his willingness to pass on the legacy was put aside to discover the culprit. The gem was slowly affecting his life so he got it made into a belt and passed it on to Hirai Kazuo, his old friend.

Hirai-san, suspecting that the belt had something inside it, asked Toichi Kuroba to ascertain what it was comprised of before handing it over to the rightful owner. Naturally the gem was discovered but word did not get out.

Hazama-san eventually died of old age but Samurai Flamenco – his grandson - currently exists. The reason the detective was affected was due to coming into contact with the Samurai Flamenco costume."

/

"Nothing was achieved from that heist, Kuroba-kun," Hakuba murmured into the boy's ear. "Why did you choose to hold one, then?"

"To prove that even a detective can be a hero in his own right," Kaito replied, keeping it succinct.

Hakuba was at his desk now. "A phantom thief is just like a person who commits premeditated murder – they plan ahead to commit their crime – so I would have never chosen to be a part of it, had that strange urge not come over me…

…but I must admit, that was fun." The detective looked out at the sky just before class began and smiled a wistful smile…one which would be more commonplace on the face of a phantom thief.

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><p>I didn't manage to incorporate the third chapter's 'next time' segment in until the end, but it's now done.<p> 


End file.
